1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to baseball practice apparatus, and is more particularly concerned with a dummy batter for use in pitching practice.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
When a person is practicing pitching a baseball or the like, it is common to have a target for the person to hit. In the case of baseball, the "target" to be hit is the area designated as the "strike zone" by the rules of baseball. While a target can be prepared designating i a given rectangle as the strike zone, in a real game the strike zone is determined in relation to the batter and the home plate. As a result, the use of a printed target for pitching practice is not the best training for a pitcher.
Since the batter is part of the determination of the strike zone, a batter can be used effectively during pitching practice. A live batter would hardly endure such practice sessions, so it has been suggested that a dummy batter be used. A dummy for such a purpose is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,871,647. That dummy can be varied in height, and can be placed as desired with respect to a home plate. However, the apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,871,647 is expensive to build, and cumbersome to move and to store. The device is designed to use in combination with an existing home plate, so pitching practice can be only on a baseball field.